If you want to gain recognition for the fabulous work you produce, all you have to do is to enter your best work in the 13th Annual Print Excellence Awards Competition. You will gain the benefits of one of the most powerful promotional
tools your business can have to show off your capabilities; the creativity and efficiency of your employees; and a testimony that could secure new clients. Winning a Best of Category, People’s Choice, Best of Division, Award of
Excellence or Certificate of Merit, confirms that quality, efficiency, and high standards are your company’s goals. Participating is easy! Simply
click here for step by step instructions.

Following is what some previous participants had to say about their experience:

"We've entered several items and two of them actually placed which is very exciting for us and even more exciting for our clients. We've been very successful with the product on their end and having an award just brings it
all back home. I'm going to be very happy to go back to the team and say 'We did it'!"

– Ken Collins, Adcraft Products, Inc.

"Our team won People's Choice tonight and they worked really hard on it so they're going to be pretty excited that everyone here voted on it and that all the printers liked it. So that's pretty special to have. And we
feel pretty privileged to get that award tonight."

Sponsorships are still available. If you would like to become a sponsor of this prestigious event,
click here. The Print Excellence Awards will be presented at the annual
Graphics Night on Friday, April 7, 2017, at the Pacific Palms Resort in Industry Hills. For reservations, contact
Maribel Campos at 323.728.9500, ext. 210.

KEEP AMBITIOUS WORKERS ON THE RIGHT TRACK

Ambitious, competitive employees are usually an asset to any organization, but smart managers stay alert to the problems their aggressive personalities can cause.

Here’s how to keep them reined in:

Respond calmly to overreactions. For highly competitive employees, even routine discussions or arguments with co-workers can end in blow-ups. These folks may overreact to criticism and go for the throat in any
confrontation. Don’t respond with anger or shouting in return. Instead, say something like, “These are important issues that you’re right to take seriously, but let’s focus on the facts.

Counter power plays. Ambitious employees often try to take over discussions or projects in progress. If an employee tries to usurp someone else’s authority, don’t hesitate to step in: “Mary, let John
handle the discussion of the budget, because he drafted it.” Be just as alert to attempts to poach your territory.

Coach them. Without personal skills, the ambitious person is spinning their wheels. Offer coaching to give that ambition a good foundation.

Source: The Manager’s Intelligence Report

KEEP ON TOP OF 2017 CALIFORNIA EMPLOYMENT LAWS AFFECTING YOUR BUSINESS

Participating in this informative webinar will definitely be time well invested. The 90-minute webinar, scheduled for January 26, 2017, at 10:30 a.m., will highlight how recent California regulatory changes may affect your
workplace.

What you'll learn:

New statutes applicable to employers for 2017

New case law on harassment and discrimination

New case law regarding employee leaves of absence

Best practices in preventing litigation

Take advantage of this free webinar and learn practical ways to comply with the increasing complexity of the new laws. You will have an opportunity to ask any questions you may have on these and other hot button issues.

About the Webinar Leader:

Kristine Kwong is a partner of
Musick, Peeler & Garrett, LLC in their Los Angeles office. Her practice focuses on all aspects of labor and employment counseling, litigation, transactions, executive compensation and executive mobility matters.

THIS WEBINAR IS FREE TO MEMBERS AS A BENEFIT OF MEMBERSHIP and $99 for non-members

POST OSHA FORM 300A BY FEBRUARY 1ST

OSHA requires that employers post, from February 1st to April 30th, a summary of the job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred last year. Employers are only required to post the Summary (OSHA Form 300A), not the OSHA 300 Log. And
those employers with 10 or fewer employees are normally exempt from federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting requirements.

The summary must list the total numbers of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2016 and were logged on the OSHA 300 form. Employment information about annual average number of employees and total hours worked during the
calendar year is also required.

Companies with no recordable injuries or illnesses in 2016 must post the form with zeros on the total line. All establishment summaries must be certified by a company executive.

The form should be displayed in a common area wherever notices to employees are usually posted. A copy of the summary must be made available to employees who move between work sites, such as construction workers, and employees who do
not report to any one location on a regular basis.

If you have any questions, please contact
Gerry Bonetto at 323.728.9500, ext. 248.

DOES YOUR WEBSITE HAVE A GALLERY PAGE?

Margie Dana, in a recent article, shared discovering that often times the most interesting page in commercial printers’ websites is their page of Sample Products or “Gallery.”

Margie shares why

If the site copy elsewhere doesn’t make it clear to visitors what you’re really good at, and what types of printing you do, the Gallery Page can tell the story better than any words. And much faster.

This happens frequently. I land on a site and can’t tell what the company’s sweet spot is. Then I move to the Gallery page and think, Oh……NOW I get what they’re about.

I like seeing a variety of products on this page, plus a short description of each image (Chalkboard Printing, Floor Graphics, Posters, Catalogs, Variable Data, etc.). It gives me a good sense of the breadth of your
offerings.

Based on the "Gallery" page, I might decide if you’re a good fit for my business or not.

My hunch is that corporate and agency print customers (including marketers and purchasing pros) will do the same thing – zip on over to your product sample page and decide on the spot if a printer’s a good fit.

The IRS mileage rates for 2017 for the use of a car, van, panel van, and pickup truck are as follows:

53.5 cents per mile for business miles driven, down from 54 cents for 2016;

17 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes, down from 19 cents for 2016;

14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

The IRS mileage rates for 2017 apply to miles driven starting January 1, 2017.

According to the
Official IRS notice for 2017 mileage rates, the business mileage rate decreased half a cent per mile and the medical and moving expense rates each dropped 2 cents per mile from 2016. The charitable rate is set by statute and remains
unchanged.

TIME FOR A CHANGE?

A new year is upon us again. Here are a few resolutions you might consider for 2017: